The West Wing Episode Guide

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January January 26, 2000 A fair episode as far as this show goes. So what happened? A lot, but this is the last episode that I've typed in about five shows so I'm a bit pooped. Besides, as I type this, Bill Clinton is on TV wailing about pumping money into education programs. Sam and Josh go to Capital Hill to talk with Congressman Bruno who is in charge of some appropraitions committee. Bruno tells Josh that there will be no investigation into Leo McGarry's drug abuse if the President agrees to not disclose an education report until after the November elections. Why does Bruno want this report suppressed? The report states that sex education cannot end at abstinence. Instead, schools must teach "absitinence plus" which teaches high school students how to gratify themselves in every way up to having sex. The report says that teaching these sex alternatives and safe sex is the only way to prevent sex or to create safe sex. CJ thinks the report is very important, but the President wants to protect Leo. How is CJ doing? She interviews the parents of a gay teenager who was just murdered for being gay. CJ wants to parade these parents before the press as a reason for hate crime legislation, but CJ learns that the father is not enthusiastic about the legislation. Sam and Josh tell CJ that the father may have been embarassed by his son's sexuality. She talks with the father and learns that he thinks the legislation is not enough. The father may say something damaging so CJ sends these parents away. Just like with the sex report, we see how things in Washington get tucked away while the media never notices them. Also with CJ...her relationship with Danny intensifies. A bunch of the secretaries are all gossiping, and they hear that someone is leaking stories to the press. At first, from the way the secretaries are talking, we think it might be CJ especially since CJ is dating Danny (who is in the press corps), but then we learn that it is some random lady. But the kicker is that this lady who has been leaking news stories, is the lady that gave Leo McGarry's personnel file (which had the drug report) to Congressman Lillienfield. The lady gets fired and then is sent to Leo's office. Leo asks why she did what she did. She says that her father was an alchohlic and did not think that an alcoholic should be running the country, but she sees that Leo is not like her father. Leo understands this woman's fear and rehires her. And this rehiring her really bothered me, b/c she really hurt him and now he just forgives her. FUN FACT: The White House uses something called "take out the trash day" in which they group a bunch of not-so-popular stories together on Friday so that 1) none of the stories receive too much attention b/c there are so many of them and 2) b/c nobody reads Saturday's newspaper. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: Look, I'm not embarassed that my son is gay, my government is. --Jonathan Lydell reacting to concern that he opposed hate crime legislation, he opposed the legislation because it was not strong enough. NEXT WEEK: Rerun. January 19, 2000 Rerun January 12, 2000 What a phenomenal episode of one of the best shows on TV. It's two days before President Jeb Bartlett's first State of the Union speech when he faints in the oval office. He is sent to bed. Jeb has a fever of 102 degrees. His wife, Abigal (played with stunning brilliance [is that a proper term] by Stockard Channing) cancels a trip she is about to take. Abby is a medical doctor and takes charge of the president's medical treatment. During the two's discourse we see, for the first time, the personal side of the President. Jeb is a weak and loving man who tries hard but can't always handle what's before him. These emotions are expressed by Jeb's TV watching and his melancholy obsession with breaking a pitcher when he fainted. As it sadly turns out, the President has multiple sclerosis, and a fever could be life threatening. Leo does not know of the pres's condition but suspects something. He confronts Abby about her injecting needles into him, and she shares that Jeb has ms. Leo is hurt in part that the pres didn't feel like he could share this problem as Leo shared his drug problem with the pres. The two talk and are OK now. During their talk we learn that the president's ms is of the relapsing-remitting sort, and fever & stress (like war or state of the union speeches) are likely to induce attacks. The ms will not affect his lifespan. While the president is in his sick bed, the news story about Leo and his drug use has just been reported on the internet. Leo talks to the press about his illness as a preemptive strike to the story being reported in mainstream media. Sam drafts a paper for the President to sign which shows support for Leo. Leo tells Sam that he should not have written the paper and that he should not give the paper to the pres. Leo says that he will not bring anyone down with him. Sam ignores this advice and gives the paper to the pres who likes it. Mallory finds out that Sam wrote this statement of support and goes over to him and gives him a big kiss. Maybe the two of them will have a future beyond their already failed attempt at a date. CJ sees the two of them kissing and calls over Danny. She tells him that she wants to kiss him so she does. In the background, Toby is working on the state of the union peech, and he is trying to appease House Democrats so that the pres is invited to give a speech (apparently, the pres needs to be invited even though it is his duty to give the speech). Toby gives up on compromise and says that Democrats should return to democratic ways of big government and supporting people. Also in this episode is India's attack on Pakistan. The war may escalate to a nuclear level. The pres asks Lord John Marbury for advice. Marbury tells the pres to do as the English used to do and play a carrot-and-stick game. The carrot: the US will help India get a foothold in the computer industry. The stick: India will withdraw from Pakistan. We have success thanks to Marbury. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: People have phenomenal capacity. --Bartlett MY FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE EPISODE: While in bed, the president watches a certain soap opera...Passions. He complains that Ivy changes her outfit too much. QUESTION OF THE EPISODE: What is the status of Charlie and Zoey's relationship? NEXT WEEK: Rerun January 5, 2000 What a poignant episode. Political catastrophe collided with personal conflict to create a realistic and captivating episode. At the beginning of the episode, we see Bartlet, Toby, Josh, Sam, and Leo huddled in the oval office discussing that India has just invaded Pakistan. India invaded because Pakistan was causing some disturbances in the neutral zone. But the amazing thing is that India managed a major assault undetected. 300,000 troops and much military equipment all went unnoticed by US satellites and surveillance including the CIA. Anyway, CJ walks into the room and asks if anything is happening or if she should tell the press corps that the day is over. She is told that the day is over. As she says good bye to the press, one reporter asks her if India has just attacked Pakistan. CJ laughs this off and says that she was just in the oval office ten minutes and knows this isn't true. The next morning she finds out that she was lied to. She is very upset. She has just begun to establish a repertoire with the press, and now her credibility has been destroyed. Toby apologizes even though Josh tells Toby that any apology will be paternalistic. He apologizes, and she accepts. But Toby did raise the issue of whether or not CJ is too friendly with the press, meaning her relationship with reporter Danny Canconon. As for the war, nuclear threats are very possible. China refuses to interfere right now, but China does have a vested interest in seeing India (which threatens China's borders) destroyed. Bartlet calls in an Indian-Pakistan expert named Lord John Marbury,who is portrayed in a brilliantly comic manner by Roger Rees who played Rebecca Howell's rich fiancee Robin on Cheers. Marbury is insane but is the only hope of solving this conflict. The conflict continues and hopefully so will Marbury on the show. Also this week, Josh is subpoenaed by an attorney named Claypool who works for Freedom Watch which is a conservative watchdog group. Claypool is trying to learn how much truth there was to Representative Lillienfield's claims about drug use in the White House. During Josh's deposition, Claypool asks Josh if he knows of any reports of Leo's drug use. Sam, who is acting as Josh's attorney, ends the deposition when this question is asked. Sam, Josh, and the rest of the main characters meet to discuss what to do now that Leo's drug use and rehabilitation has been discovered. Bartlet is ready to stand by Leo in this battle. And this fight will continue. Zoey, Bartlet's daughter, flirts with Charlie. Charlie then asks Bartlet if he can ask out Zoey. Bartlet ignores the question, but he is plagued by this dating. Bartlet has a problem with Charlie not because he is black, but because he is a guy. In the end, Bartlet gives permission, but warns Charlie that many people will be upset to see a black man dating a white woman. Mandy wants to represent a republican congressman named Mike Brace. She asks Sam to convince Josh and Toby that it's OK for her to represent him. Sam tries but decides not to after he sees just how partisan life is. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: You are a political consultant. Your job isn't to end the [political] fight, it's to win. --Sam to Mandy who wants to represent a republican. NEXT WEEK:Bartlet faints on the eve of his first state of the union. Leo's secret drug past is revealed. Sam and Mandy kiss? December December 29, 1999 Rerun December 22, 1999 Two-hour episode of National Geographic aired. December 15, 1999 A humbling episode of The West Wing. And because I'm so emotional and sappy, I'll begin with the humbling part. Toby receives a phone call from Washington DC police. They found his business card in the jacket of a dead, homeless man. Toby goes to see why this man had his business card. Toby realizes that he had donated the coat, and this man must have received the coat from a charity, but he also sees that this man has a tattoo from the Korean War. Toby is upset at the homeless status of this vet and makes sure that he receives an official burial in Arlington Cemetery. But the way this storyline was done was really quite touching. Josh starts freaking out over the possibility of Leo's removal from office. Congressman Lillienfield still plans to use Leo's valium dependency and entrance into a drug clinic as leverage to prevent the appointment of Mendoza to the Supreme Court. Keep in mind that six years ago, when Leo went to this rehabilitation center that he was Secretary of Labor. Josh and Sam go to Sam's prostitute girlfriend, Lori, and ask her for the name of a head Republican who has been having sex with a prostitute. They plan to use this information as leverage against Lillienfield. However, Lori won't talk. Leo hears what these two guys did and yells at them for it. But Leo's problem still exists. A gay high school student has been stoned to death by a group of 13 year-olds. CJ wants to use this story as an impetus to begin a hate-crime rally. However, is it right to qualify crimes? Shouldn't we say that a murder is a murder no matter what? CJ wants to begin a discourse, but the pres and pals are not so sure. Also with CJ: she agrees to a date with Danny. BEST REASON THAT 2000 SHOULD BEGIN THE MILLENNIUM: We've made all these great plans. --Sam NEXT WEEK: Rerun December 8, 1999 Rerun of series premiere December 1, 1999 Didn't air NEXT WEEK: Rerun? November November 24, 1999 Phenomenal but a very simple episode. It's time to pick a new supreme court justice. This old WASPy guy named Harrison is in line for the job, but one night Sam receives a phone call from this mystery man who delivers a paper that Harrison once wrote. Apparently, Harrison once wrote that the Supreme Court should not reverse laws which invade public privacy. The Pres then meets with Harrison and has Sam assault Harrison's beliefs. Sam and Pres are both appalled by Harrison's beliefs which would legitimize the banning of cream in coffee (which in my opinion the courts could overrule claiming that the legislature has no authority to pass this law which violates the individual's authority). There is this other guy, Mendoza, who the Pres then calls in. Mendoza was not the first option for justice because he is not an ivy-league, WASPy candidate, but is a Brooklyn- born, city-educated, Hispanic man. But when the Pres. meets with Mendoza, the Pres likes him and will nominate him. YEAH!! A congressman comes out with information that one in three presidential staffers use drugs. Of course, the immediate reaction is for CJ to totally deny this statement, but Danny shares that there must be a reason that the congressman made this accusation. Josh goes on the hunt to find out what information the congressman has. He searches and interviews dozens of the 1300 White House staffers and realizes that the congressman is after someone...who? Leo!! Josh talks to Leo and learns that Leo was in a rehabilitation facility six years ago for popping pills (keep in mind this is in addition to Leo's alcohol problem which led him to the v-p's AA meeting). Leo tells the Pres that his secret has been discovered (apparently, the Pres knew). The problem will probably continue in future episodes. Also of note, Danny continues his hunt for CJ's love. Josh tells Danny that CJ likes "goldfish. She can never have too many." The next day Josh shows up at CJ's office with a goldfish in a tank. CJ laughs and shares that the goldfish she loves are the crackers. Where will the relationship go? By the way, I'm starting to not mind Danny so much. FLAW OF THE EPISODE: No judge would ever say that the first amendment includes the words "freedom of expression." NEXT WEEK: Rerun? November 17, 1999 A fine episode indeed. The interesting: Leo is having breakfast with daughter, Mallory. Leo wants to know how his wife (who he is separated from) is doing, but Mallory tells her dad that he should call her mom and ask. He refuses and then gives two tickets to the opera to Mallory. Mallory then walks Leo back to the office, and after saying good-bye to him, she stops by Sam's office and invites him to the opera. He says yes and will be picked up at 7:30. Later, he confirms that this is OK with Leo. Leo confirms. That night at about 7:10, the President tells Charlie to have someone write a birthday card for the Assistant Secretary of Health. Charlie asks Leo who should write the letter. Leo tells Charlie to have Same write the letter even though some crony should do this. Sam starts writing the letter and is done by 7:30, but the Pres. asks Sam to write a new draft. Sam realizes that his writing has been off lately so he wants to get his magic touch back. Mallory arrives and Sam tells her that he's sorry, but they can still catch the second act if he finishes the letter soon. Mallory realizes what's going on, and she yells at her Dad. At this point, the Pres comes in to demonstrate that while Sam's current task may be petty, it's an example of why she shouldn't go out with him. Sam is on the job and can't leave it. But Leo decides that Sam doesn't have to do this. Sam can go out with Leo and Mallory, but Sam turns down the offer, and he would rather work on the birthday card. Who knows what will become of all this. Tensions between the Pres and v-p grow when they clash at a cabinet meeting. Word of the clash is somehow leaked to Danny (the guy in the press corps who keeps asking out CJ). Danny is going to lead with the story until CJ promises him 30 minutes with the president. But the thing is that the Pres thought the v-p leaked the story. As it turns out, the lady keeping minutes of the meeting leaked the fight. Even though this is now known, we learn that the Pres and v-p hate each other completely, because the v-p insulted the Pres during the democratic primaries. The final story involved creating a new national park. The president is obsessed with national parks and wants to make a new one, but Congress tacks onto the national park bill a bad banking bill. The question becomes, will the president accept the bad banking bill to make a park? Josh works hard on a solution, and he really is quite good, because by the end of the episode he realizes that through the Antiquities Act, the president doesn't need Congress's permission to create the park. November 10, 1999 Did you know that I love this show? This week was just an amalgam of problems: Hurricane Sarah is about to destroy the eastern shore of Georgia, the largest union of truckers is going to go on strike at midnight, the FBI is ready to attack a group of militiamen who may be holding hostages, and the White House is about to hold a state dinner for the President of Indonesia. Before we deal with any of these stories, let me fill everyone in on a little side story. During a press conference, CJ gets asked a question about a group known as VERME picketing outside the White House. She answers that she'll field that question at the next press conference. The man who asked the question later approaches CJ and asks her is she even knows who VERME is. Apparently, the guy, Danny, has a crush on CJ and is just trying to get her attention. He is in the press corps so their relationship may be dangerous. As for VERME, it is a group that is protesting the use of certain silver because it was made under the Louis XV. The White House's display of this silver represents its compassion for oppressive governments...the issue is dead in the water. Now for the main amalgam of stories. First, Sam is still seeing that prostitute friend of his. He wants to see her that night, but she has to see a client. Second, Josh and Mandy are competing for the president's attention. Josh advises the President to have the FBI attack the house being held by the militiamen. Mandy advises that the FBI send in a negotiator. The Pres. listens to Mandy and Josh gets jealous. Things are going well until the Pres. learns that the negotiator was shot when he entered the house and the FBI then seized the house with violence. Mandy is so upset that her advice was bad, but Josh consoles her (NOTE: The Pres. didn't blame Mandy, she just has a guilty conscience). As for the problem in Georgia, Bartlet. has the eastern shore evacuated, and his plan seems a success. Then the Pres, learns that the evacuation was unnecessary because the hurricane suddenly and unexpectedly moved out to sea. Why is this bad? The evacuation included moving the navy into the sea. Hurricane Sarah is now headed right for the navy ships. At this point, the Pres. is very upset about everything especially since all of this is happening during the state dinner. Bartlet then goes into the labor meeting over the trucker dispute and forces a solution in a really great scene. The Pres needed to feel like he had power over something. As for the state dinner, it was amusing. First, Toby tries to get a political prisoner friend of his removed from an Indonesian prisoner. Toby speaks with the head of Indonesia's state department through two interpreters (you had to watch to find this funny) only to learn that the head of the state department spoke English. The guy also said that he would not grant the request because he basically disapproved of US hypocrisy (US shouldn't lecture other nations on human rights because the US killed Indians). Also at this state dinner, we meet Abigail Bartlet, the first lady. Stockard Channing did a great job playing the first lady with sass. Sam is at the party when he is introduced to a big political contributor. Who is this contributor's date? Sam's girlfriend, the prostitute. Sam is upset and offers her $10,000 to not go home with that man. She is disgusted by the offer. Returning to the Pres. He then gets on the phone with someone on one of the boats that is in the path of Hurricane Sarah and just talks with this guy until the end of the Hurricane or until death. It was a really emotional scene. QUOTE OF THE WEEK:I'm sitting there trying to figure out how this guy [the President of Indonesia] got elected [even though he has no personality]. Then I remember we [the United States] rig the thing [the democratic election] every year. --- Josiah Bartlet, President of the United States. NEXT WEEK: Pres and Vice-Pres clash over policy. Does Mallory (Leo's daughter) have a crush on Sam? November 3, 1999 I really, really like this episode and since "Sportsnight" is going off the air until December, it's all the Aaron Sorkin I'll be getting. This week centered around two stories. First the political story, the president threatens the appropriations committee by saying that he won't sign the budget unless they vote to allow census sampling (so that the audience understood census sampling, they had CJ act as though she didn't understand it, but in my opinion this was wrong, because CJ is a smart lady who would totally get the census. But for you at home, the president wanted to pass a bill which allowed mathematicians to approximate the number of homeless and underrepresented peoples in the U.S. The democrats like this because it will allow more representation from liberal areas like inner cities. However, this risks sampling all sorts of things even actual elections). Toby appeals to Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution which stated the Census Law which said that every person shall be counted and 3/5 of all blacks. The deal between the appropriations bill and the census sampling took place when a social studies teacher, who was voting for his recently passed wife, decided to vote his consciousness. The second story involves the president, Charlie, and Zoey. In the very beginning of the episode, the president is forced to stay in the Oval Office because there has been a breach of security. He is fine, until he learns that the intruder to the White House wanted to kill Zoey, his daughter. At the same time, Josiah Bartlett (the pres.) realizes that his young, personal assistant (Charlie) has no life. The Pres. makes Josh (Deputy Chief of Staff) take Charlie out. Then Zoey and Mallory (Leo Solomon's daughter, Leo is Chief of Staff) invite themselves along, and they also invite Sam (Rob Lowe) who may or may not have some sexual chemistry with Mallory. Anyway, they all go to a bar, and some frat guys start hitting on Zoey (she's 19 and starting Georgetown in a few weeks) b/c they don't recognize her. They soon become violent and Charlie steps in to stop them until the secret service arrives. The pres. is very impressed by Charlie's heroism. I realize that I have done this show much disservice, but believe me...it is a good show. Just watch it. QUOTE OF THE WEEK:We don't trust you. --Josh, explaining why he won't give the budget surplus back to the people Why not? --Donna, his secretary We're democrats. --Josh BEST USE OF MONEY: Eight states will divide five million dollars to study the use of wood. --Josh NEXT WEEK: A labor dispute, a hurricane, and a siege interfere with a state dinner. Stockard Channing guest stars as the First Lady, Abigail Bartlett. October October 27, 1999 World Series October 20, 1999 This may have been the first episode of this show that I really liked so "yeah me!" and"yeah Aaron Sorkin!" Leo (the chief of staff) opens up the doors of the white house to public so they can bring their issues to the president's advisors. Sam hears one story about aliens and he believes it. CJ hears one story about wolves (by the way, more people die from vending machine fatalities than wolf attacks last year) and a $900 million path for them. This is no big deal, but it was amusing. Also this week, Josh (deputy chief of staff) receives a card from the NSC (National Security Council) which tells him what to do in case of a nuclear or other emergency. Josh begins to panic when he realizes that he is the only one of the staff to get this card. He feels extreme guilt and so he goes to see a psychiatrist. At the psychiatrist's office, we learn of Josh's dead sister, Joanie. She died when he was just a little boy. She was baby-sitting him, and he saw a fire coming from a popcorn machine. He ran out of the house and never saw his sister again. He blames himself for her death. The psychiatrist tells him not to. Finally, this week there may be some romantic connection between Charlie (the president's advisor) and Zoey (the president's daughter). By the way, the president's chili came out really nicely. Also, no word on the separation of CJ and his wife QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Nobody ever looks like Joe McCarthy. That's how they get their foot in the door. --Toby IN TWO WEEKS: The president gets upset when his daughter is almost shot when he was the target. But he becomes enraged when he learns that she was the target. October 13, 1999 The show's problem, as I see it, is that the show goes back and forth between being fast-paced and touchingly slow-paced, yet never maximizes itself at either pace; and, therefore never becomes compelling. This episode, however, was better than most. It's financial disclosure time at the White House and Toby has earned $125,000 after he invests in some stock. The catch is that the stock went up b/c Toby's friend testified in court. Toby freaks out throughout the episode, but in the end, he tells the press before the press can catch this mistake and forgoes his salary for a year. The big story, however, involves a gun bill, #802. On Monday night the president makes a big speech promising a huge gun bill (this is all show b/c the bill really prevents grenade launchers from being sold). As the Pres is making this speech, five congressmen withdraw their support. This causes the team to start acting. Leo (the chief of staff) is working so hard that he misses his anniversary. He does, however, get four of the five votes. Leo then realizes that his wife has left him. He is so sad about his wife and desperate for the vote that he goes to the v-p for help with getting the fifth vote. The v-p agrees to help and also asks Leo about his drinking problem. Leo admits to having one so the v-p invites Leo to come to an underground, politicians-only, Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. They bond, but when the bill passes the v-p takes full credit for it. QUOTE OF THE WEEK:You're voting down a bill that would prevent the sale of deadly weapons, because no one invited you to the cool kid's table." Josh, trying to convince a Congressman to vote for bill 802. NEXT WEEK: Major chaos behind the scenes (UFOs and smallpox). The pres. prepares for a press conference and chili-making.